Ukraine crisis hits close to home for Washington County couple's ministry

Don and Nancy Miller talk with their staff in Zhitomir, Ukraine, every week via video chat, and they email back and forth almost daily. For years, those online conversations centered on the day-to-day operations of Good Samaritan Ministries in Ukraine, a nonprofit founded by the Millers and headquartered in Washington County.

But lately, the dialogue has turned to political strife, economic struggle and the threat of war hovering over Ukraine.

The Good Samaritan Ministry’s Ukrainian location is 70 miles from the country’s capitol, Kiev, and about 500 miles from tense Crimea.

However, the distance hasn’t lessened the Miller’s concern for their Ukrainian friends’ safety.

“At this point, everybody is tense because of the occupation of Crimea by Russia,” Nancy said.

Most of the nonprofit’s staff in Ukraine, including three full-time and 17 part-time workers, are in their mid-30s, Nancy said. They are passionate about their country and have supported protesters with food, water and blankets during the last three months or so.

She and Don have been glued to the news and frequently contact their staff in Zhitomir.

“I think it’s fair to say, based on what we’ve heard from our people, that everyone in Ukraine wants a better way of life,” Don said. “They want a democratic way of life.”

The Millers worry that if Russia grasps control in Ukraine, stricter laws could limit the nonprofit’s efforts by declaring Good Samaritan Ministries a “foreign agent” and imposing high taxes and intense scrutiny on their operations.

The nonprofit has been around for more than 20 years. The Millers traveled to Ukraine in September 1993 on a quest to get in touch with Don’s heritage; his family emigrated from Ukraine during the 1940s. What they discovered was a deep connection to a country where communities battle against a lack of resources.

View full size(left) Helvetia Christmas Tree Farm co-owner Nancy Miller with Nadia Petryk, a widow in Ukraine served through the Miller's Good Samaritan Ministries in Ukraine, founded in 1993. As part of the Babuska Sewing Enterprise, Petryk and other widows make placemats, napkins and potholder, which are for sale in the gift shop at the Miller's tree farm. Courtesy of Nancy Miller

“I was just overwhelmed with the poverty and the corruption,” Don said. “It just broke my heart.”

The Millers met “babushkas,” widowed grandmothers, struggling to make ends meet, and saw young people wrestling with addictions to drugs and alcohol. They were inspired to start a humanitarian organization, and Good Samaritan Ministries was born.

The Beaverton-based nonprofit raises funds for and coordinates Ukrainian services like an addiction treatment center, two homes for senior citizens, two medical centers and a counseling service. Good Samaritan Ministries also provides loans for small business startups in Ukraine.

Don and Nancy have returned to Ukraine every fall since 1993 to keep track of their ministry.

During the last couple months, they’ve amped up fundraising and pushed for more small business loans that might pull some Ukrainians out of an economic hole deepened by protests and political maneuvering.

“We’ve shared with our donors and supporters that this is the time to pray,” Nancy said. “This is really a David and Goliath situation. Going up against a big country like Russia is no small feat for Ukraine.”

Don said they are also encouraging friends and neighbors in the United States to stay informed – they have been keeping track of news from the Kyiv Post, an English-language newspaper in Ukraine.

“It’s a whole different picture when people are on the ground and are in it day-to-day,” Don said.